MEXICO’S most feared narco kingpin was sent off in a blaze of gold, music and masked mourners – as armed troops stood guard and a country braced for more bloodshed.

Infamous cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes – better known as “El Mencho” – was buried in a gold-coloured coffin on Monday following his dramatic death in a military ambush.

Mourners attend funeral for body believed to be ‘El Mencho’, in Zapopan
People gather next to a golden casket where body of cartel leader “El Mencho,” liesCredit: Reuters
 

Motorcade of white SUVs topped with flowers, likely a funeral procession, on a busy street with onlookers.
He was buried on MondayCredit: EPA
 

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Infamous cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes died in a military ambushCredit: AFP
The 59-year-old founder of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) died after being wounded in a firefight between his bodyguards and Mexican special forces deployed to capture him in late February.

His funeral near Guadalajara, in Jalisco state – the cartel’s heartland – was a spectacle as brazen as his reign.

National Guard troops flooded the area to prevent fresh violence as mourners gathered for the colourful send-off.

Many concealed their identities behind face masks as they followed the coffin through the cemetery.

Large floral tributes were carried into the funeral home ahead of the ceremony – including one shaped like a rooster, a nod to the drug lord’s love of cockfighting.

According to AFP, five lorries were needed to transport the mountain of flowers to the cemetery, most sent anonymously.

The procession was accompanied by a live band playing ranchero music and narcocorridos – ballads glorifying drug lords.

As El Mencho’s gleaming coffin arrived at a chapel inside the cemetery grounds, the traditional song El Muchacho Alegre (“The Cheerful Boy”) rang out, local media reported.

After an hour-long ceremony, mourners followed the gold casket to a surprisingly modest grave.

Mexican outlets noted the plot was plain compared with the towering mausoleums that often mark the resting places of other cartel bosses.

El Mencho’s death unleashed immediate retaliation from the CJNG, one of the country’s most violent criminal organisations.

Cartel gunmen torched vehicles, blockaded highways and stormed streets across at least 20 of Mexico’s 31 states.

Plumes of smoke rose over Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta as cars and trucks were set ablaze.

Panicked tourists scrambled to flee through Guadalajara airport as armed gunmen reportedly stormed the terminal, firing shots and sending crowds diving for cover.

Residents were urged to stay indoors as bursts of gunfire echoed through cities for hours.

The death toll from the day of violence reached 73, including 25 National Guard members.

El Mencho was killed during a military operation at a luxury villa in the exclusive Tapalpa Country Club – a gated enclave popular with wealthy weekenders.

Troops had been tipped off to the hideout and ambushed the cartel chief as he attempted to flee through woodland behind the property.

He later died from his wounds while being airlifted away.

The United States had offered a $15million (£11.2m) reward for information leading to his arrest.

Mourners attend a funeral, with a gold casket in the background, seen through a fence.
As El Mencho’s gleaming coffin arrived at a chapel inside the cemetery groundsCredit: REUTERS
 

Aerial view of a funeral in a cemetery with attendees gathered around an open grave and a coffin.
The burial ceremony for deug lord “El Mencho”Credit: AFP via Getty Images
 

Funeral preparations are underway, believed to be for the slain cartel leader 'El Mencho' in Guadalajara
A rooster-shaped tribute was among the floral arrangements, many of which were reportedly received from unnamed sendersCredit: Getty
Since 2017, he had been indicted multiple times in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

In February, the Trump administration designated the Jalisco New Generation Cartel a foreign terrorist organisation.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration considers the cartel as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel.

Authorities say it operates in all 50 US states, distributing tonnes of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl.

It has attacked the Mexican military, shot down helicopters and pioneered the use of explosives launched from drones.

In 2020, it carried out a brazen assassination attempt in central Mexico City using grenades and high-powered rifles against the then-head of the capital’s police force.

El Mencho’s killing has been hailed as a major victory for President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government, which has faced mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump to clamp down harder on drug trafficking.

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau hailed Oseguera’s death, calling him “one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins”.

Yet fears are growing that the power vacuum could spark an even deadlier internal war as factions within the cartel – estimated to have tens of thousands of members – battle for control.

A terrifying rumoured successor has already emerged.

Juan Carlos Valencia González – El Mencho’s stepson – is widely viewed as the “de-facto second in command” of the cartel.

Also known as El Pelon, Tricky Tres and O3, the dual US-Mexican citizen was born in Santa Ana, California, in 1984.

US authorities have charged him with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and using a firearm during a narcotics transaction.

A $5million bounty remains on his head.

Announcing the reward in 2021, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said: “[The] reward announcement underscores the US government’s commitment to pursuing the individuals and organizations that are causing the most harm in our communities.”

Despite being tipped for the top job, some analysts claim he “lacks influence” among other commanders.

A man in a suit stands by a hearse with its back open, revealing a gold coffin, at a funeral.
The procession was accompanied by a live band playing ranchero musicCredit: AP
 

Mexican authorities return body of cartel leader 'El Mencho' to relatives
Members of the Mexican army stand guard near the La Paz funeral homeCredit: Reuters
 

Mexico focuses on cleanup after death of drug cartel leader
Cartel gunmen torched vehicles as they retaliated after the kinpin’s deathCredit: EPA